spaethe



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

0. SPAETHE'.

ACCORDION.

No. 277,368. Patented May 8,1883.

WITNESSES: INgBNTOR i BY ATTORNEY N. PEYERS. Pholn lilbographunWashington. D. C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

OQSPAETHEJ. ACCORDION.

(No Model.)

Patented May 8, 1883.

OOGOOO 11W TOR ATTORNEY WITNESSES: ,flQ-JZM n hw, Washington, a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Orro SPAETHE, or GERA, GERMANY.

ACCORDION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 277,368, dated May 8,1883.

Application filed December 30, 1882. (N model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OTTO SPAETHE, of Gera,

' in the Empire of Germany, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Accordions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in the construction ofaccordions, whereby the player is enabled to make small repairs byreadily getting at the key mechanism, and by which also the tunes may beplayed with modified force, so as to give greater variety of expressionto the instrument.

The invention consists of an accordion the key-board of which isprovided at one side with a metallic face-plate having holes or slotsfor the keys, said face-plate being attached to the board by a U-shapedextension at its upper end, and by fastening-screws, so as to be readilydetached when desired.

The invention consists, secondly, of a slidin g register interposedbetween the cover and the tongue-frame of the accordion, the openings ofwhich correspond with the wind-opening, said register being-operated bysuitable lever mechanism from the outside whenever a modulation of thesounds is required.v

In the accompanyingdrawin gs, Figure 1 represents a side view of thekey-board and cover of an accordion. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig.3is a bottom view of the tongue-frame with the adjustable register. Fig.4 is a detail vertical transverse section of the metallic faceplate ofthe key-board, shown detached from the latter. Fig. 5- is a verticaltransverse section through the key-board and the cover of the accordion.Fig. 6 is a detail side view of the face-plate shown in Fig. 4, andFigs. 7 and 8 are respectively a side elevation of amodified form ofthe'key-board and a vertical transverse section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, A represents the cover or top of the bellows of anaccordion, to which is attached the key-board a, which is supported bybracket-shaped ends I) b. The key-board a and the bracket ends I) b arecovered at one side by a metallic face-plate, c, the outlines of whichcorrespond therewith. The face-plate .key-board a.

which project through the openings d (I, or

keys which project bodily through the recesses d d, are used. The keys 0are pivoted to a stout longitudinal wire that is secured to the bracketends I) b. The keys 0 are pressed in outward direction by means of smallsprings g, which are interposed between them and the The metallicface-plate c is secured to the bracket ends b b by means of screws 6 andf, whereby the shifting of the face-plate in longitudinal direction isprevented. In this manner the metallic face-plate 0, together with thebracket ends I) I) and the key-board a, forms a kind of housing in whichthe entire series of keys 0 are arranged.

To the keys are connected by stiff wires the valves D, by which thewind-openings E in the top or cover A are opened or closed, according asthe keys are depressed or released by the player.

It is obvious that a key-board constructed as described 'can be readilyrepaired or readjustedv by the player himself by simply removing themetallic face-plate and carefully examining the entire system of keys.

Intermediately between the tongue-frame B and the cover A is arranged alongitudinallyadjustable register, F, which is guided in recesses i i ofthe cover, and provided with as many openings m of equal size as thoseof the tongue-frame B. The openings on of the register F, as well as theopenings n of the tongueframe, correspond with the wind-openings E. Theregister F is operated by a fulcrumed lever, H, thatturns on the pivotto, and takes by set by the intermediate lever, H, either in a positionso that its openings on register with the openings at of thetongue-frame or close the same.

To prevent the escape of air through the slots of the cover A, whichwould produce a disagreeable sound, a piece, 0, of leather is interposedbetween the cover A and lever H, it being provided with an arc-shapedslot at right angles to the radial slot 12, whereby the slot .9 isclosed and the escape of air prevented, whatever be the position of thepin g.

In Fig. 3 the register F and the lever H are shown in an intermediateposition, in which the openings are partly closed, so that the tonguescan only be sounded with halftheir strength. By properly setting theregister F the player is enabled to modulate the strength of the sounds,and play thereby the tunes with full strength or with diminishedstrength, as desired, whereby the general effect of the instrument isconsiderably improved.

bellows-body, a ton gue-board, a cover provided with bracket ends I) Z)and a vertical keyboard, a, a removable metallic face-plate, c, slottedon its vertical side, arranged in front of said keyboard, and providedwith an angular flange at its upper end, which takes over saidkey-board, a series of spring-pressed keys pivoted, within the spacebetween said keyboard and faceplate, upon a continuous wire extendingbetween the end brackets, the tinger ends of said keys projectingthrough the slots in the face-plate, and suitable valves opened andclosed by said keys, substantially as described.

2. In accordions, a metallic key-board plate, 0, provided with a bentU-shaped top part, c, and with openings for the keys, substantially asset forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in pres ence of two subscribing witnesses.

. OTTO SPAETHE.

Witnesses:

RUDOLF SPANNBERG, WILHELM FRIEDEWALD.

